Roland Sands Ducati XDiavel breaks cover

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is among the most popular motorcycle rallies on the global scale. Despite being present for 76 years in the motorcycle circuit in USA, Ducati hadn’t participated yet. But that changed in 2016 as the Italian bikemaker made their debut at the 2016 edition of the motorcycle rally with its new XDiavel. The new cruiser bike has been specifically designed for the US market and holds the distinction of being the only Ducati offering to get a belt drive system which is synonymous with cruiser machines. Being Ducati, the debut at Sturgis Motorcycle Rally wasn’t a simple affair with a standard motorcycle but a one-off XDiavel built by popular American bike builder Roland Sands Design. 

His design is clearly visible with the XDiavel featuring a more sloping and flowing lines throughout the motorcycle which is a single-piece unit. The stock 17-inch wheels has been swapped with a 19-inch unit which gives the bike a meaner stance. The seats has been replaced and the motorcycle also gets a custom paint job while the shotgun-style exhaust system is a neat addition.

Speaking about the special Ducati XDiavel, Roland Sands said, The XDiavel is a beast. A wolf in wolves’ clothing and a serious piece of speed equipment. We really wanted to pivot off all that amazing technology and not mess it up by tearing it out. So the bike is still very stock from a functional standpoint. Ultimately, we decided to twist the aesthetic while retaining decidedly 'stock' bike functionality. I’m proud to say that’s exactly what we've achieved.”

The motorcycle took three months to build according to Sands. No mechanical updates have been made and the liquid-cooled L-Twin pushes out 158PS at 5,000rpm and 128.9Nm of peak torque. Ducat XDiavel owners can also chose Roland Sands Design accessories for their bikes which is part of the Ducati Performance catalogue available at Ducati dealers.